


A Spy Can't Love

by orphan_account



Series: ASCL [ACOWAR] [1]
Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: ACOWAR, Elriel, F/M, Non-Canon Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-11 00:32:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10451016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Edited prompt: “You’re secretly a spy and to keep me safe when things go downhill you have to break up with me and hope I don’t try and follow you” by @toxixpumpkin . Elain is taken to the Spring Court by Lucien without anyone else but Feyre.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PropShopHannah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PropShopHannah/gifts).



> Characters: Elain Archeron, Lucien, Azriel
> 
> Timeline: ACOWAR AU
> 
> Place: Spring Court
> 
> Wordcount: 1210

Elain Archeron did not know much about her sister after Feyre had been Remade, but she knew enough to see that Feyre was pretending to love the High Fae - High Lord - of the Spring Court. She knew, because that was what she had been doing too, to Lucien.

She had almost screamed when Lucien had called her his ‘mate’. She had no idea what Faes and their mates were supposed to do, but Lucien seemed to think that Elain was now in love with him and she could not say no. She had seen Lucien, the empty shell beyond his mask, the flinch when she stared too had; she had seen his bleak past and broken soul, and she could not say no. Not even when there was someone else.

That someone else was the reason she steeled her nerves and smiled at the Faes, at the people who she had thought as monsters and still did, except for maybe Feyre and him. She did not know his name, for the time spent with him were so short she dared not ask, but the way his shadows called to her light, the way he was always silent because he knew Elain was tired to talking and pretending…the way he understood her so well, it was more than enough to make up for his anonymity.

The first time they had met, Elain saw him hiding behind a grove of trees - the grove that she used as her safety place. She had known that he was there for a reason, an ulterior motive that was not admiring the Spring Court’s flora. But she had not ask, maybe because she thought she recognized him, or maybe because he had not either when she shuddered when she smelled Lucien’s scent on her clothes and heaved up her breakfast.

Most days she would kiss Lucien lightly and briefly, swallowing her revulsion and stilling her trembling hands as she asked for permission to go out. That place - the Spring Court - was her home now, but still she had to ask for permission to leave because the High Lord said so and Lucien would never go against him. Disgusted was putting it lightly.

Then she would walk past rows and rows of exotic flowers she could not name, their sweet scents too cloying, until she reached a grove of trees. The trees were huge, towering above her and blocking out the sunlight when she walked into the centre. She would throw up there, heaving out her breakfast, shaking so hard from fear of those Faes.

He would be there, always close by but unseeing, giving her the privacy she fought so hard to maintain. And always after, he would stand by her, his shadows hugging her because neither dared touch each other, Elain more so. And as much as she hated spending time anywhere close to a Fae, he was different. He knew his limits, he knew Elain wanted to be herself, to own herself, not to be tied to someone else because to a stupid mating bond. Elain knew he understood, because he never brought the topic up, the topic she wanted to close her ears and eyes to.

Softly, so softly she sometimes could not hear herself, she would whisper her fears, her disgust of Lucien and the High Lord, and the Faes who thought they should have sex just because they were mates. She would whisper her hopes and dreams; whisper her need to protect Feyre but wanting to be protected. She knew the dark Fae was there to spy on the Spring Court and she was wasting his time, but he would still stand there, patient and always listening.

She would suddenly want to prove herself to him, to earn his trust and time, to repay him for his kindness by giving him something worth it. She would want to be worth something, to mean something more than just a broken doll hiding behind a fake remade body; she would want to be like those flowers she used to grow, standing strong despite the cold winter winds and the scorching summer heat. But she could not - could not think about what Lucien and Tamlin were up to, what schemes Feyre was planning.

Every time it would end with them awkwardly leaving, her carefully stepping over her puke, knowing that it would be magically cleaned, either by the Spring Court’s magic or - she tried not to think about it - Azriel’s shadows. And him, just disappearing in a silent puff of smoke leaving behind faint wisps of shadows that would disappear too, under the sunlight of the Spring Court.

It would happen every few days, whenever Elain felt like she needed some air or time. Until she slipped.

Lucien was following her, though she did not realized, too wrapped up in her excitement to meet the dark Fae. She did noticed actually, felt someone following her, but dismissed it as her paranoia of living in a Fae mansion.

But then the wind shifted, and she smelled the scent of fallen leaves and cool wind, smelled fire, and she nearly freaked out. She buried that feeling, that scream, deep deep down, and turned around innocently, eyes wandering over the flowers like that was what she was there for, then falling on Lucien like she just noticed him.

She forced her eyes to widen in surprise, forced her lips to tug at the corners, as unwilling as she was to smile at him. She lifted her skirts daintily, as she half-skipped towards him. Then because she could not bring herself any closer, smiled at him in greeting and cocked her head.

Lucien only shook his head and left, a smile ghosting on his lips. Elain just stood there, her heart beating loud enough that she knew Lucien could hear - not because she was so, so scared, but because of his Fae ears. She prayed, prayed to whatever forgotten Gods and to whatever deities or objects the Faes worshipped that Lucien did not know about the mysterious Fae male waiting just so close behind.

When she was sure Lucien was gone, she ran, tore off her slippers and ran back into the mansions, ignoring the thorns that ripped her gown and tore her feet. She stormed into her room and grabbed the first pen and paper she could find, praying that neither were magicked to record words as she scribbled down her apology, her explanation, her loss and her love. She scribbled down in the loopy cursive that her mother had taught her, asking for forgiveness and telling him that she had no choice, and that Lucien was suspicious but she still loved him anyway and _I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry_ and _please don’t follow me, please leave, leave, leave_.

And at the last second, she asked for his name, knowing how foolish she was asking for his reply after all of that. She left that piece of paper in a hole of one of the trees, praying that the Fae got it before Lucien or the High Lord did.

Days later, she was sitting in her room, directly above the trees when a paper flew in.

_Don’t be sorry, it’s not your fault._

_—Azriel_


End file.
